Overview
This lecture discusses the key scientific attitudes and values that help scientists—and students—approach problems effectively and discover new knowledge.
Scientific Attitudes and Values
- Scientists possess positive behaviors that help them study and understand nature.
- Important scientific attitudes and values include curiosity, objectivity, open-mindedness, honesty, humility, patience, determination, and acceptance of failure.
- These qualities are important not only for scientists but for solving everyday problems.
Definitions and Examples of Scientific Attitudes
- Curiosity: Wanting to learn, ask questions, and discover new things.
- Objectivity: Making judgments based on true observations, without personal feelings or biases.
- Open-mindedness: Willingness to accept new ideas and listen to others.
- Honesty: Being truthful about observations and not taking credit for others' work.
- Humility: Admitting mistakes and understanding one is not perfect.
- Patience: Waiting calmly for results, and spending time to get accurate outcomes.
- Determination: Persisting in tasks despite failures or obstacles.
- Acceptance of Failure: Treating failure as a way to find new solutions.
Application of Scientific Attitudes (Examples)
- Objectivity: Lance relies on real observations, not emotions.
- Open-mindedness: Richard listens and respects others’ ideas.
- Determination: Lay continues efforts despite setbacks.
- Honesty: Kevin records results without changing them.
- Curiosity: Elise asks questions to find out why.
- Humility: John and Paula admit when they are wrong.
- Patience: Professor Reyes waits calmly for results.
- Acceptance of Failure: Ranzel learns from failed experiments.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Scientific Attitudes — Behaviors that help scientists investigate and understand nature, such as curiosity and objectivity.
- Curiosity — The desire to learn and discover.
- Objectivity — Making decisions based on facts, not feelings.
- Open-mindedness — Willingness to accept and consider new ideas.
- Honesty — Reporting results truthfully.
- Humility — Admitting mistakes and limitations.
- Patience — Waiting calmly for results.
- Determination — Persisting in efforts despite difficulties.
- Acceptance of Failure — Viewing failures as learning opportunities.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice identifying scientific attitudes in different situations.
- Write your own examples demonstrating each scientific attitude or value.